In a door module, a variety of functional door hardware components are pre-assembled onto a single plate or some other form of single carrier so that these components can all be loaded into a vehicle door at one time via the single plate/carrier on the vehicle assembly line and save assembly steps.
It is also known to utilize a door module for a sliding vehicle door such as found in passenger minivans. However, some door modules for sliding vehicle doors do not include components such as locking mechanisms. Instead, the locking mechanisms are separately installed within the door cavity, making the locking mechanisms difficult to service, as the entire module must be removed in order to access the locking mechanisms. Furthermore, the installation of a locking mechanism after the door module has been installed is typically carried out by inserting the locking mechanism through a relatively small hole in the door module, which complicates the installation process.